Monday, November 24, 2008

Hey Y'all,Happy Thanksgiving!We are heading out of town tomorrow (Tuesday) for a 4 state/two day trip to spend Thanksgiving with family. We will be returning on the weekend, so please pray for safe travel.Also, pray for my back as I ride that far. I had to get that third shot after all, and so far it has not worked. It takes some time, so I'm hoping the medicine will kick in by tomorrow (please God).

In honor of Thanksgiving I would like to share some riddles I did for my students. They are not hard but are fun.

Thanksgiving RiddlesWhat Am I?

I sit on your table, but for me it is not a treat. You see me, carve me, and then eat, eat, eat! So don’t be in a hurry or real jerky. I am the Thanksgiving __________?

I’m what you are thankful for besides the turkey and dressing. You can also count me, I am a ___________?

Lots of people come and sit around me, all who are able. A bounty of blessings is on top of me. I am your _________?

You come together with memories and blessings to Oh remember. I love listening to your stories. I am the month of ______________?

I change myself to look beautiful because God I want to please.You can crunch me, bag me, or throw me in the breeze. I am colorful instead of green today. I am the ______________?

We all get together to share our blessings. We are cousins and aunts, uncles and gramps. And even though I can only rhyme with a nonsense word like chamily, I dearly love them anyway they are my ________?

Did you get them?

Here is another little "Happy" I am truly thankful for:

We have a screen saver program that puts up a new scripture and picture up every day. This past weekend the picture was of two pigs snouts sticking through the slats of a fence. One snout was clean and pink with only a trace of mud. The other snout was muddy, but had a beautiful shiny gold ring in it. The scripture was Proverbs 11:22 "Like a gold ring in a pig's snout is a woman who shows no discretion."We were doing something on the computer that night when Zoie saw the picture. She asked what the verse meant. We explained it was like a woman who was beautiful, but showed too much of her body...was as bad as a dirty old pig with a gold ring in his nose. The next morning as we were getting ready for church, Mike and Zoie were in my office, when I came in still in my PJ's. Mike asked jokingly, "Are you going to church like that?" That's when Zoie popped up, "Only if she wants to look like a pig with a gold ring in it's nose."

Lastly, on a serious note. I am most Thankful for Jesus. Without Him there would be no reason for thanks...no good left at all.

I am saved, forgiven, redeemed and loved beyond my own comprehension.I am thankful that you are too.

Thursday, November 20, 2008

Do you remember the old game show that Bob Barker did before "The Price is Right?"

It was funny! People would either tell the truth about something the shows producers had found out about them or take the consequences. The consequences were that of slap-stick comedy. I loved it as a child.

The truth is that their are always consequences to our own truths.

We all have secrets. Luke 12:2-3 says one day it will all be out in the light. We all are judged by our actions everyday, by others and by God.

In my last post I gave a scenario where the Queen of Sheba testified against me in court. It was a piece of fiction...but the truth is she will. According to Luke 11:29-32 She will be one of the judges against our generation come judgment day. Why? Because she turned and believed and gave honor to God after seeing all God had done for King Solomon and Israel. How many times has God done something for me and I keep turning away to do my own thing? Too many!

Today as I read Luke 12:35-40, it reminded me that every moment I need to be ready for Jesus to return.

Am I prayed up?Have I confessed every sin?Have I forgiven every offense? Ouch!Have I let go of my past?Have I told everyone I could about the true Son of God?Does the guy at Dunkin Donuts where I go for quiet and a cup of coffee every Monday morning, know I love Jesus?

Guess what I had to say "No" to all of them.

The truth is we will never be completely ready. There will be no time when we will be able to say yes to all those questions.

But the consequences can be eternal if we don't try.

What about you? Lets try together.

Lets turn our consequences from punishment to joy.

Instead of the Queen of Sheba being one our judges lets join her in the jury room.

Friday, November 14, 2008

It was absolutely ghostly! Hollywood could not have made a scarier place. The foggy mist, the echos of once convicted souls hollering about their sentences. It was a room... eerie and gray like looking through a thick fog only there was no moisture. I could hear myself breathe...a little wheezy. It wasn't asthma...not here anyway. It was a wonder I could breathe at all...was I even allowed to breathe here? Suddenly I heard my name. Not Pamela or Pam my full name, even my maiden name, which I dropped when I got married because my husband liked my middle name, and I didn't want to write out four names...I wonder if that little bit of laziness will count?

I step forward to the front. I am standing in front of a large desk...It is called something else but right now, I am too scared to remember what. I should know, after all the court TV shows I've watched. Huhmmm? What if that counts too? Some of them were pretty raunchy. Oh my!

Out to the side I watch as someone steps up to the jury box. (At least I remembered what that was called) I do not know her, but I know she knows me. I can tell by the way she looks at me. She is dressed like someone from ancient times or the Bible. She is beautiful. I wish I could look that good. Ooops! Will that count too? Is that called envy? She is joined by several men and women from different times in history. Some are tribal looking people. One looks like a cruel dictator from somewhere in South America. He was on the news a lot, when I was in my 20's...what was his name? It began with an N? Oh! Noriago! How could he be on my jury? I barely know him from the news. This is so strange. I want to go home! But I can't! I have to stay here! It is my time!

This isn't an American courtroom. Here the jurors are also my witnesses. They will judge and testify against me. I here their names now: The Queen of Sheba, the people of Nineveh, the Acua tribesmen, the very ones who killed the missionaries! There is Doc Holiday, along with other gunslingers from the old west. Some politicians and musicians, who I would have never believed would be here. There is some bad looking biker dudes and many soldiers from every war I have ever read about in history.

All of these people have one thing in common...they are here to judge me.

I listen as they list my sins, and I realize that even though I have never met these people...they know every detail about me. All the things I thought were hidden or forgotten are now before me, as evidence against me. I am ashamed and fall to my knees in fear and in tears.

Suddenly, the room lights up with blinding whiteness! I can't see and must cover my face. The light is so bright, it hurts my eyes even though the are both closed and covered by my hands! I am being lifted to my feet...no off my feet...I am in the air...being held up high and twirled like a kid in the arms of her father. No, it is really more like the old romance movie scenes where the man twirls his long lost girl in the air. I open my eyes, as I hear this loud powerful voice say...

NOT GUILTY! SHE IS MINE! This isn't a nightmare this is heaven!

Luke 11:29-32 has been haunting me for the past week or so.Jesus said that this generation (Which includes us ) would be judged by the Queen of Sheba because we seek signs and proof, but we do not believe what we have already seen. We will also be judged by the people of Nineveh who upon hearing of their sins turned and obeyed God. Just from one sermon (and not a good one at that!)

Well just like I don't want rocks to do all the praising, I don't want these people judging me either come judgment day.

No matter what your doctrine is about the judgements that will or will not fall on Christians then...This I know and will stand on for eternity. I belong to Christ! His blood covers me! I want with all my heart for Him to shout...Well Done Baby Girl!

My mom use to have a saying when I would get in trouble and say: "But I didn't mean to!" She would shoot back "I know. But the problem is that you didn't mean not to!" Translation: I didn't set out not to get in trouble...by not caring or "meaning not to"...I let trouble get me.

So starting today...I am going to do everything I can to "mean not to" sin!

It won't be easy! I will fail! But with practice and determination, maybe just maybe, I will have fewer things for the Queen of Sheba to say against me!

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

There is a song I love off of the FFH CD Ready To Fly called "I'll Join The Rocks."In the song it speaks of how we have become so complacent in our faith. We have just sat back and let those "Called ministers" be the ones whose faith shows. The singer of the song says:

The time has come for me to leave this world of complacencyand step across that lineto the place where I can leave all that I have behindand give YOU this heart of mine.But what if I'm the only one to break the silenceWhat if I'm the only one to crack the iceI'll join the rocks with their singing.I'll join the ocean as it harmonizes with the shoreI'll clap my hands with the mountains as all creation shouts for moreI'll never stop, if I'm the last one livingYour song goes on and on and I must testifyI know that I was born to worshipSo if all the singing seems to stopI'll join the rocks!"

I love that song. It has a great FFH beat and speaks to my heart so strong. Zoie and I love signing to it too. You should see us signing and singing and me driving too going down the road. I'm sure we look strange! Heehee!

I don't want to be complacent in my faith. I don't want the rocks to testify more than me.

Last Saturday I did a women's conference in Lancaster, SC. My topic was on Friendships and how everything we do will either push our friends to Christ or away from him. But strangely enough even though it wasn't in my notes God kept speaking to my heart about how we have to stop playing at being Christians.

Our time is running out! I am not a doomsday Sayer or a fortune teller by any stretch of the imagination. So please don't misinterpret this message that way. Only God knows when our precious Jesus will return. I hope and pray it will be in my lifetime. But this I do know. We Christians are losing our rights faster than I would have ever dreamed possible. America is in trouble economically and spiritually.

We have got to turn from our wicked ways and join the rocks! If God is judging/punishing this nation one thing is clear it is not the unbeliever's fault....IT IS OURS!

Let me ask you some questions I have had to ask myself. (I have not liked my own answers)How much did you pray for this election and cry out to God in tears?How much have you been on your knees seeking any wicked way in you that God could cleanse so that your prayers would be effective?How much time have you spent on your knees this week after the election praying both for and about our nation?Have you spent your life as if praying for our nation was the most important thing you should be doing?

I did not like my own answers. Because to tell you the truth...I would rather play with my family or watch TV than to spend that kind of time in prayer. Just being honest here.

But God is convicting my complacent heart and today I'll join the Rocks!

This past Sunday we had a 3 hour interview with an accessor regarding us being appointed as church planters. It went well and for me further convinced me that my heart feels an urgency about sharing the gospel and telling others about Jesus.

Oh, how I love HIM! But I fail too often in talking to him and tell others about Him. I can't predict tomorrow but for the rest of the day today....

My ship is sailing now into an ocean and I can't tell what's on the other sideBut I know if I don't leave my heart will never forgive meand I'll be left behindBut what if I'm the only one to seethere's more to thisWhat if we have just begun to scratch the surfaceI'll join the rocks with their singingI'll join the ocean as it harmonizes with the shoreI'll clap my hand with the mountainsas all creation shouts for moreI'll never stop, if I'm the last one livingYour song goes on and on and I must testifyI know that I was born to worshipSo if all the singing seems to stopI'll join the rocks!Hallelujah Hallelujah

Thursday, November 6, 2008

Thank you so much for your prayers and support! I really can't remember being that sick or scared before.Zoie did a wonderful job keeping you updated. I asked her if she would do it so you would know why I had not blogged and she jumped at the chance. I pulled it up for her then went and laid back down while she wrote it. Then her dad or I corrected a few spelling and comma errors so she could post.

Here is the rest of the story:When they did the CT scan last Thursday at the hospital they found a mass and some swollen lymph nodes but the doctor said they were not the problem. (I wish he hadn't told me about them if they were not the problem!) They put me on a high powered antibiotic and a pain med. I had to spend the night with my mom because I was too sick for Mike or Zoie to take care of me. That way too, they could go on to school and work on Friday. Even on the pain meds I was in excruciating pain all night. By Monday, I was still in pain and weak so I went back to the doctor. More test! Tuesday I got an ultrasound of the area where the mass had been and it was gone. GONE! Even though it was small and insignificant to the doctors, it had become very significant and frightful to me! And now it was GONE! Along with it most of my pain! The pain has continued to diminish so that now it only hurts if I am pulling on that area. I don't know if it was an infection that caused all of this and the antibiotic finally started working, or if the mass was causing the problem and God removed it. What I do know is this:

GOD is my Healer! Although our modern medicine could not figure out what was actually happening...Our God knew! He heard our prayers and sent it away! I believe He healed me!

Now as I promised Zoie, a quick few words on the Color Of A Lie.My students all individually came up with the same question concerning the thought of turning purple once you lied. "After someone lied to you once, how would you know when they were telling you the truth?" It was a good question. None of them liked the thought of everyone knowing when you lied. I don't think even those of us who try hard to speak only the truth would like it either. I don't know anyone who would not be at least a lavender shade of purple.Here's why I would be that way. I sometimes don't keep my "saids" as well as my promises.

We have started reminding each other to "keep your said." Example: Mike will ask me to do an errand or to do something for him. I will say "OK." with every intention of doing so. But as my day gets going and full, I forget or lose the time to do it, and I have not "kept my said." Jesus says to let your "Yes be yes and your no be no!" Keep your said!

My final thought on the Color Of A Lie: It is a good thing we can't see each other's sins that easily. OH...how we would judge each other. But remember this...God does see every purple shade!

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Mom has been betterShe went to the doctor on Monday.Tuesday she went back and the mass-thing was gone!She is feeling better, her side still hurts..............Sooo keep praying.THE COLOR of a LIE, has not been answered yet, but will be tomorrow.Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you for praying.To moma'sbloggers,LOVE ZOIE...........

Saturday, November 1, 2008

This is Zoie.I am sub blogging for my mom today.We need you to really pray for her...she is sick.

Here is the story.It started on Monday. She started having pains in her side.Like, when you run fast and your side hurts. Only it didn't hurt all the time.It didn't get better, in fact it got worse every day! She finely went to the doctor on Thursday.He sent her straight to the Hospital, He thought she had appendicitis. Thank God it wasn't!They now think she has a infection in her Colon. She is now taking two types of medicines.They have found something else but mom won't tell me. But tell you the truth, she doesn't know what it is either. She goes back to the doctor on Monday. She is scared and is still hurting.Please pray for her. We are trusting in God for He knows everything.To moma'sbloggers,Please, please pray for Pamela, Mike, and me for we all are scared. I think you want to know why mom hasn't finished THE COLOR of a LIE. She is sick, and can't blog.Please pray for her. She will need lots, and lots of prayer.To moma'sbloggersPlease pray, please! P.S please pray for me too, my throat is sore. Pray for my dad too, he is worried about his sermon.Moma's girl,LOVE ZOIE.

ABOUT me

I am the mother of a beautiful and talented 17 year old daughter. My husband is a Chaplain in the US Army Reserves and a VA chaplain. I am a Speaker~Writer. I love speaking to groups and sharing the message that GOD loves and has desire for us.. I am a priss pot to the core and love everything bright, shiney and girly! Most of all I love my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!

Follow My Pink Shoes

Pink Shoes

I can't write this blog without telling you a little about the pink pumps. I have Cerebral Palsy. It is a birth defect that fortunately, only slightly affects my right side. If you were to meet me, it may take you years to recognize that my right side doesn't work as well as my left. I have a slight limp, which can only be detected when I'm sick or angry.Wearing pretty shoes is the only thing I am not able to do...

....but come Heaven, I will be easy to spot! I will be the one wearing a pair of hot pink pumps!